Display case



Pm UI uw 2 n iT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. S. POTTS DISPLAY CASE Filed Aug. 4,1937 April 23, 1940.

April 23, 1940. R, s, P01-Ts 2,198,459

DISPLAY CASE Filed Aug. 4, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Kober* PaTTS \NveNTQf10 and partitions therefrom to the tray rim, whereby Figure 7 shows atray underside.

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 i 2,1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY CASE notiert stanley Potts, Bauamt,victoria, Australia Application August 4, 1937, Serial No. 157,263 InAustralia August 28, 1936 6 Claims. (Cl. 20G-72) 'Ihis invention relatesto display cases, trays, Figure 1 illustrates One 0f my trays 0I!- 2- orcontainers, adapted to promote the sales of pedestal and having an innerarea. goods, particularly those which are covered and Figures 2, 3 and 4each shows a compartmente including trays which are pivoted on portablebOdy f a modied tray- 5 pedestals, and are adjustable to allow ofsetting Figure 5 is a sectional diagram of a modled 5 their decks intooblique, horizontal, or other tray. having a terraced deck. p1anes, iFigure 6 shows parts of a tray, having its cover According to thisinvention a tray has one or fitted With a glaSS Dane1 ShOWn Slid SOmedistance more changeable or fixed inner areas or locations, Open.

compartments are made in which to display Figure 8 shows-relatively toFigure 6 and Figgoods, and/or other publicity matter. Such ure "I-adevice adapted t0 enable a user t0 regutrays are placeable outside orinside shops-in late the height 0f the glaSS Pane 0f a tray cover fairs,on show grounds, and so on; and travellers over the tray deck.

may treat the trays as portable shop windows, Figures 9 and 10illustrate partitions, 0f which 15 The trays secure individuality ofgoods appearthe length can be readily altered by handance Without wasteof space. These trays also Fig'uIe 11 ShOWS the upper part 0f arotatable reduce the labour involved in window and show telescopicpedestal column adapted t0 Support a case dressing; and may be prepared,in advance trayof sales to shopkeepers, manufacturers and These drawingsShOW a pedestal cOlumn l With 20 wholesalers ready to be set in publicview. base Wheels 2. and SOCketS 4 carrying brackets 3 For brevity inthis specification, trays, display Carrying fittings,` Such aS glaSSShelves 5. To alcases, and containers, are generally referred to` 10W atray to be adjustably DiVOted 0n the c01- as trays, and their bases orsurfaces to bear umn, the tray Carries an apertuied bracket 0I goodsvand so forth are usually called decks. member l 0n its under Side, and abolt is passed 25 Decks are flat, recessed, or of other contours,thlOugh the aperture 7*". and are in some cases apertured to facilitateThe tray has any Suitable outer rim 6, and

settings of goods of various sizes and forms. In deck 8. and Within therim, a multidinOuSly cormost instances ordinary air within trays issuit- Iugated, uted, 01 like Wall 9 Suitable fOr Darable; but I provide,in some arrangements, sterititiOn end locating- The tray haS alSO Within30 lized, warm, cold, dry, moist, or rarefled air, or 1t a Tim 01 Walll0, Which is Corrugated 01' gas or any suitable liquid, as brine, andunder adapted fOr partition end location. pressure when desired, adaptedto be discharged Tray fermS are Variable, and include rectanguor changedwhen desired. Liquid, for example, laiy Circular, OVal, triangular, andS0 0n; and

is fed to the upper part of an inclined tray and the trays are made ofany suitable materials, in-

ows by gravity to the lower part, and escapes cluding stainless steel orother metal or alloy, as require@ glass, Celluloid, resinous products,wood, and wire My trays are made for` comprehensive dismesh plays, insome cases of large deck area, for ex- I Iotvlde eenllllg ewen th?(.)uter it? m' 40 ample up to ten square feet. Smaller trays suffice neru es or e 1 e .n.e or p am par 1 lons for many small goods. Stationers,tobacconists, "2 H respectw'ely to dwlde the deck mtu com' partments,such as A to H in Figure 1, and comconfectloners, Jewellers, grocers,and various partments P to U in Figure 4 In Figures 2 and othertradesmen, sell goods many of which are 3 some compartments are shownsubdivided by Small and for thffm an 111011 0f Space over the partitionssuch as la and la" which connect radeck of a tray Wm sufe I providehowever dial partitions, making Figure'2 contain compartfor adjustingthe height available to suit large ments J to 0 and Figure 3 Zi and W toZ goods; thus I make a part, as the tray cover, The tray underside-l5,Figure rI is shown `raisablc or lowerable relatively to the deck.strengthened by optional bracing I6.

Accompanying drawings-in which scales dif- The partitions areprominently visible, and fer-illustrate embodiments of the above deareset in any of many positions available, and `scribed and other featuresof this invention, by extend from an outer rim or wall of the tray toWay of example. Parts shown of simple forms an inner area or location.`are, in practice, variously designed and orna- They are of variable orof xed length, some mented, such details not being claimed. formscarrying caps or sleeves engaging the cor- 55 rugated, or like walls.Partitions are straight, curved, or angular, and of any predetermineddimensions; and are ilexible, bendable, or rigid. Walls and/orpartitions are iluted on one or both sides, the'latter enablingpartitions to be bridged.

In Figure 2 the walls locating fluted partitions consist of long stripsof corrugated or uted material, curved or bent into shape, and theirends meet or overlap. Instead of corrugations or iiutes being arcuate,other contours are obviously usable.

Figure 9 shows a doubled corrugated strip 42, gripping another doubledstrip 42, the length of overlap being regulated to produce a partitionof required length.

The appearance of any partition is, at will, made uniform along itslength, by having thereon sleeves as next described.

On any partition, as on ends 43, I set at will, a rubber or other sleeve43B or cap of any desired length which is allowed to project whendesired so that the partition shall fit into its place snugly.

Modified partition elements 42, 44, grip together and also allow oflength adjustment by hand. Short partitions can usually, however, bemade from longer ones by cutting. When metal strips are used, they willoften, in practice, be thicker than is illustrated.

A1 in Figure l, A2 in Figure 2, A4 in Figure 3, and A3 in Figure 4 areexamples of inner locations or areas surrounded by compartments.

Any desired area---A1 for example-is permanently xed on the deck, whileany inner area- A3 for example-is from time to time varied in positionon the deck and held by partitions of suitable length.

A5 in Fig. 5 is an inner area of the deck formed by a removable base 3|surrounded by an inner frame 31a. Base 3l rests on suitable supports,such as ledges 3|, and may comprise a handle 3|b to facilitate itsremoval and replacement. When the base 3| is removed, a hand may bethrust through the opening A5 for the insertion or the removal of goodsonto or from the tray or for the displacement of partitions withoutlifting the cover. Such an inner part is advantageous to exhibitvaluable wares, such as jewellery, which may then be easily removed fromthe tray at intervals for safe storage, or other purpose.

A tray cover is movable, or is xed. It has a slidable pane of glass orthe like for example, or the cover can be lifted off and replaced,allowing of inserting and/or removing goods on the tray deck. The coverhas in some cases sliding panes which overlap, and air-tightness ofpanes is secured. as by rubber gaskets.

Means are provided to connect a tray body and its cover adjustably. Acover--of sheet metal for example-may be used, having relatively deepwalls or sides 21, and being provided along the upper edges of oppositesides with grooves 2B to receive opposite edges of a slidable glass pane25. In opposite walls 21, there are disposed spaced holes or sockets 29,selected pairs of holes being engageable by tray body projections I8-shown more clearly in Figures 7 and 8. By disengaging the projections I8from one pair of holes and engaging them into another pair, the heightof the cover top may be varied for the purpose of providing thenecessary space for accommodating on the deck goods of differentheights. In the case illustrated by Figure 8 the body carries spacedapart bolts I8, the ends |8a of which pro- .lect from guides or sheathsI9, the bolts being pressed outwardly by springs 2U. The bolts havehandles or'grips 2| nger pressure on which retracts the bolts anddisengages ends I8 from holes or sockets 2l in the tray cover sides 21.The cover is shown in Figure 6 in full lines and the tray body 28 inbroken lines, and some of the wall tlutings 9 are illustrated.

In the case shown by Figure 5 the covering pane 25 is movable, forexample sliding in grooves 26, and will allow a user to have readyaccess to the tray contents. 23* is a rubber or like suitable gasketadjacent to the pane to keep the tray top air and/ or liquid tight.

Figure 5 shows also terraced decks 32, 33, 34, which provide dlierentdepths under the top 25 to allow of exhibiting goods which occupy widelydifferent heights. Partitions 35 will, in practice, have upper edges atany height desired. In this tray rim 36 shows a. slide or door. Innerwalls 31 of terrace surfaces may be transparent or translucent so thatlight from lamps or illumined tubes diagrammatically shown at 38 mayenter the compartments. Another means of iray illumination is shown at24 (see Fig. l).

I illustrate shelving 39 at a tray back.

A supply pipe to regulate air, gas, or liquid in a tray has in somecases perforations Lo feed re.- spective compartments, and may have aconnection to a pump or exhaust means.

Pluggable sockets 40, 4|, in suitable positions allow of pipeconnections whereby to introduce and withdraw air. gas, or liquid. Sucha connection is marked 3U in Figure 4. A supply tube is shown by brokenlines 22 in Figure 4 and has inlets 23 to diilerent compartments.

In Figure 1l, a pedestal 45 is engaged telescopically by a pillar 48,for easy rotation of which ball bearings 41 are shown resting upon acollar 46 supported by tube 45. Member 48 can be fixed as by a clamphaving a handle 5|.

For tray pivoting, a yoke 45 is shown, with a bolt 5D passed through it.The bolt also passes through hole 1l, or the like, and when the trayplane has been adjusted, the pivoting elements are iixed as by a clamphaving handle 52.

I claim by United States Letters Patent:

1. A display tray, comprising a deck for supporting the goodsto bedisplayed, a boundary ange surrounding said deck and having corrugationson its inside, an inner frame disposed on said deck at right anglesthereto and having corrugations on its outside, said frame encirclingpart of the area surrounded by said boundary flange and being spacedfrom the latter, and a plurality of radial partitions removably insertedinto corresponding corrugations of said boundary iiange and inner frameto form radial compartments.

2. A display tray, as claimed in claim l, in which said inner frame ismovable with respect to said deck and is heldin place thereon by meansof said radial partitions.

3. A display tray, as claimed in claim l, in which said radialpartitions are provided with corrugations, comprising further a bridgingpartition removably inserted into corresponding corrugations of two ofsaid radial partitions to subdivide the radial compartment formed by thelatter.

4. A display tray, as claimed in claim 1, in which said radialpartitions are of variable length, whereby they may be inserted betweendifferently spaced pairs of corrugations.

5. A display tray, as claimed in claim l, in which said inner frame ismovable with respect to said deck and is held in place thereon by meansof said radial partitions, the latter being oi variable length.

6. A display tray, comprising a terraced base for supporting the goodsto be displayed, an outer boundary ange surrounding said base and havingcorrugations on its inside, an inner boundary iiange for each of theterrace decks, each of said inner anges having corrugations on itsoutside and a plurality of angularly directed partitions stepped inaccordance with the terrace formation of the base and recessed toaccommodate said inner boundary anges, each of said partitions beingremovably inserted into corresponding corrugations of said outer angeone of each of said inner anges, respectively.

ROBERT STANLEY POTIS.

